Light Inside of You
by Cygna-hime
Summary: This year, Sakura's class is having a concert at the school festival, and a certain singer winds up with an unexpected accompanist. When Naoko gets involved, things may be more than they seem...


Yes, I'm back with another story! I have written more stories, but most of them were just posted on my LJ. I'm sorry, you guys.

This was for a Tsukimineshrine challenge, like so many others. The challenge called for one person to play music while another sings, and the song had to have something to do with the characters. My mind went straight to one particular pair—I hope you enjoy this!

Post-canon optional, rated G for absolute sappy fluff fluff fluff, about 2500 words. This is a bit of a rough draft; I'd like to extend some scenes and add new ones to make it hang together more. That being said, I would appreciate it if you could tell me anything you would like me to work on for the second draft.

I do not own Card Captor Sakura. The song within is by Ronan Tynan, and I don't own that either. It's not even my CD, it's my sister's.

Light Inside of You

All of Sakura's friends sat together to eat lunch for once on that day in October, too intent on talking to each other to wander off in twos and threes as they often did now that they were in high school. They arranged themselves in a wide circle under a tree.

"I think this is the best festival idea!" Sakura said cheerfully. "Concerts are so much fun, and a lot of people are really good at singing and things. It'll be great!"

Syaoran smiled involuntarily at his girlfriend's enthusiasm. "Are there enough people in just our class for a concert?"

"Sure," said Chiharu, around a mouthful of Takashi's cooking. "Tomoyo-chan sings, of course, Rika-chan and Naoko-chan play the piano," she pointed to each of the three girls in turn, "I think Masaki-kun, Suzuki-kun, Kato-kun, and Michiko-chan all play instruments, too, and Natsumi-chan is in the choir. I've probably forgotten some."

"That's a lot of people," Syaoran said, impressed.

"Don't people play music in China?" Chiharu asked.

"I don't know. I never noticed."

"Yes, they do," said Meiling unexpectedly. "Lots. Syaoran was just always busy, so he didn't notice, because he's an idiot." She looked smugly at Syaoran.

"Am not!" Syaoran retorted automatically. "I just didn't spend hours mooning around watching the choir like you did!"

"I was not _watching_ the choir, I was _in_ the choir!"

"You—were?"

Meiling glared at her cousin. "Yes, I was in the choir. Is that a problem, Syaoran of the five-sport year?"

"Er, no. I didn't know you joined the choir."

"You miss things when you walk around with your head in the clouds dreaming about Japan all the time, Syaoran."

"I was not--!"

Before the cousins' argument could go much farther, Sakura asked Tomoyo, "Do you know what song you're going to sing for the concert?"

"I haven't really thought about it yet," said Tomoyo. "There are one or two songs I've been wanting to learn, but I'm not sure I could learn them so quickly. Perhaps I should sing an older one. What do you think, Sakura-chan?"

"I think any song you sing will be beautiful, Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura said with her usual cheery smile. "Are you two going to play?" she asked Naoko and Rika.

Rika answered first. "I think so…the song I'm working on at lessons is very pretty, I think I'll play that. How about you, Naoko-chan?"

"I'm not sure," she said. "I'd like to learn a new song, but I'm not sure I could play properly with everyone watching just me. I'm afraid I would make a mistake."

"I'm sure you'd be excellent," Sakura reassured her. "You never make mistakes at cheerleading, even when it's really complicated."

Naoko blushed lightly. "It's easier when it isn't just me. But I guess I will, if I can find something new to play. Most of the songs I know are accompaniments." Seeing Sakura's confused look, she elaborated, "Accompaniments are meant to be played with another instrument, or a singer, not on their own. They aren't the whole tune, so it would sound silly to play one alone."

"Oh, I get it!" Sakura bounced happily. "Ne, Meiling-chan, are you going to sing?"

Meiling jumped a little. "Me? I guess I could. Maybe." She shifted on the grass. "Did anyone understand the chemistry homework? I didn't get it at all."

The conversation changed topic to the concept of quantum levels, and all talk of the concert was abandoned for the moment.

"Meiling-chan, may I walk with you?"

"Oh, Tomoyo-san. Sure. What's up?"

"I didn't really want to ask earlier, but is there something bothering you about the concert? If you would rather not sing, you don't have to. We'll have enough people, I think, if no one gets sick."

Meiling shook her head. "It's not a problem, as long as Syaoran doesn't tell."

"Tell?" Tomoyo questioned gently.

"Mother doesn't know I joined choir back in Hong Kong. She wouldn't approve. It's custom, you know? I'm a Li, so I study martial arts. Li don't sing unless their magic goes that way. She'd have a cow." Meiling toyed with her dark hair. "Besides, I haven't tried singing in Japanese. My accent is probably horrible."

"Hmmm." Tomoyo thought for a moment, then said with a smile, "Why don't you sing in English, so no one notices your accent? If you ask Naoko-chan, she could find a nice song for you. She has a lot of English language songs. Perhaps, if you ask her, she'll agree to play a piano accompaniment. That would be nice."

"But if Syaoran tells my mother--"

"Oh, I don't think he will," Tomoyo said, her smile not quite a smirk. "No, I don't think he will."

Naoko was delighted when Meiling knocked at her door and asked about helping her find music for the concert.

"Of course I can find you something!" she said, leading the way to a quite impressive collection of music stacked next to the piano. "Um, is your voice high or low when you sing? Some of this music is really high, and..."

"Low," Meiling said, looking around. "I can't sing high notes at all, my voice cracks. This is a lot of music, Naoko-san."

"Most of it belongs to my parents," she replied. "Mother likes music, especially in other languages. Would you like to borrow some?"

"No, thanks."

Naoko's smile faded just a little. "Is there any kind of song in particular you would like best?"

Meiling shrugged. "Something you can play the piano for." At the sight of Naoko's face, half ecstatic and half nervous, she grinned and added, "If you can stand performing with me, that is."

"Oh, that would be wonderful!" Naoko's face broke into a brilliant smile. Meiling had never seen Naoko smile like that before. It was a good look. "I'll look over the music tonight and find something I think I can play. It might be too easy for you to sing, though."

"Not likely! I'm a much worse singer than you are a piano player, I bet."

"Oh, I don't think so." Laughing, Naoko let Meiling out again.

When Meiling was halfway down the street, she looked back to see Naoko still standing at the door. She waved, and Naoko waved back.

Naoko had a song ready the next day, an English song she said her mother had bought her on a CD for her last birthday. She got sheet music, Meiling never knew from where, and adapted it so the piano was the only accompaniment. They rehearsed every day, until Meiling yanked on one ponytail and declared that if she had to look at the damn thing one more time, she would scream. After that, they only rehearsed every three days or so.

At last, the night of the festival arrived. Meiling arrived early, but when she got there, reading over her sheet music one last time, she found Naoko already there, having something like an argument with Tomoyo.

"But, Tomoyo-chan, I can't," she was saying. "It's too much, I can't just--"

Meiling walked up directly behind Naoko's right shoulder. "Can't what?"

"N-nothing," she said, flushing.

"I was trying to persuade Naoko-san to wear the dress I made for her," Tomoyo said smoothly. "There's a matching one for you, Meiling-chan."

"You don't have to do this, really, Tomoyo-chan," Naoko said.

"Let me at least see you in them before you decide against them. Please?"

"Oh, all right," Naoko gave in at last, and, taking one of the bundles of cloth from Tomoyo's hand, went into one of the changing rooms.

Tomoyo smiled conspiratorially at Meiling. "Naoko-chan is really a nice girl. It's a pity..."

"What's a pity?" Meiling asked.

"She's very shy about admitting she likes someone, not like you, Meiling-chan. I just think it's too bad, since the person she likes is very fond of her too."

"...Right." Meiling took her own dress and turned toward the changing rooms, but stopped when she saw Naoko.

The dress she wore was simple, pale grey velvet with the slightest shimmer of blue in the folds. The style somehow made her look older than her sixteen years, and ethereal, as if she was not quite real.

Meiling stared. "...Wow. You look gorgeous."

Naoko blushed. "The dress is wonderful, Tomoyo-chan. Thank you so much."

"It was fun to make. Meiling-chan, put yours on. I want to get some pictures of both of you."

Meiling's dress was in the same style, shot with red rather than blue. Naoko looked at her once, then busily started going through her music.

"What?" Meiling asked, crossing her arms. "Don't I look good or something?"

"No," Naoko said softly, "you look fine. Just fine." She was blushing as she read the music for the hundredth time.

Tomoyo performed first, singing a more complicated version of an old Japanese song perfectly. Then Rika played a piano solo, a girl named Natsumi sang, more simply than Tomoyo but almost as sweetly, and a string quartet played together. Meiling and Naoko were last.

The audience was absolutely silent as Naoko sat down at the piano and arranged her music. She didn't need it any more than Meiling needed hers, but she put the sheets on the stand all the same. Then, in dead silence, she raised her hands, nodded to Meiling, and began to play the introduction.

Meiling's deep, brassy voice filled the theater, singing the words of the song Naoko had picked out for her.

"If you can't see your blessing's not a burden,

Talk to me, I've seen your heart of hearts.

I still believe in a world that's so uncertain

No one rides for free down the boulevard of stars.

"When you want to lay down,

Hold your head up high.

"You stand alone like a moonless sky,

Surrounded by the darkness.

Lift your eyes and you will rise

Up where the morning sun comes shining through,

To show the world the light inside of you."

Naoko's skillful fingers glided over the keys, playing slowly, sweetly. All the while she played, her eyes were fixed not on her music nor on her audience, but on Meiling.

"For what it's worth, I thought I ought to mention

On God's green earth, there's no one else like you.

Faith is a river, make yours deep and wide.

"You stand alone like a moonless sky,

Surrounded by the darkness.

Lift your eyes and you will rise

Up where the morning sun comes shining through,

To show the world the light inside of you."

As Meiling sang, Sakura, in the audience, leaned her head on Syaoran's shoulder. His face, which had been fixed in a scowl when his cousin had walked onto the stage, relaxed into what was almost a smile. Tomoyo, backstage, looked through the side curtain to see her mother and two off her bodyguards. One of them was holding a video camera, at Tomoyo's request.

"When you want to lay down,

Hold your head up hi-i-igh.

You stand alone like a moonless sky,

Surrounded by the darkness.

Lift your eyes and you will rise,

Up where the morning sun comes shining through,

To show the world the light inside of yo-o-ou,

To show the world the light inside of you."

With a few gentle final chords, Naoko ended her playing. The two girls were in dead silence for a moment, before the audience burst into applause.

Later, after the festival was over, Naoko packed up her things and prepared to leave. She spun around when Meiling, behind her, asked,

"Want me to walk you home?"

"Oh, you don't have to," she replied. "I'm fine on my own, it isn't far."

"You could get in trouble, walking around at night looking like that." Naoko was still wearing her grey dress. "Let me walk you."

"In Tomoeda?" Naoko giggled. "Still, I suppose there's no reason you shouldn't."

As they walked through the dark streets toward Naoko's house, Meiling was uncharacteristically quiet. Naoko was the one who finally broke the silence.

"How exactly is it safer for both of us walking around at night than it is for me walking alone?"

"First, safety in numbers," Meiling said, ticking the points off on her fingers. "Second, I can still beat someone up, even in this dress. Third, I just want to walk with you. That enough for you?"

"Oh. Yes, that's very—nice of you." Naoko looked off somewhere into the shadows, and said irrelevantly, "You're so good at singing. Why didn't you want to perform?"

Meiling froze for a barely perceptible moment, then kept walking. "Why do you ask?"

"I just wondered. You don't have to tell me, I should really mind my own business."

"No, it's okay. You just surprised me, that's all." Meiling thought, swinging her long hair as she walked. "It's my family. There are some things we do, because we're Li, and there are some things we don't. Singing isn't something we do. 'Course, it's not like I can do what I'm supposed to, either, but…"

Naoko blinked at Meiling from behind her glasses. "Can't do what you're supposed to? But you're so good at—at everything!"

"Me? Don't make me laugh! My parents—every time I go home, it's 'Your grades aren't up to our expectations, Meiling', 'Did you really have to spend so much on clothes, Meiling?', 'Are you sure you've kept your martial arts up properly, Meiling?', 'Are you helping Syaoran, Meiling?'" Meiling snarled at the world in general. "I'm sick of it! Why can't they just say what they mean, that they wish I was more like Syaoran's sisters, that they wish I had ma-" Too late, Meiling realized what she was saying and stopped talking.

"—Magic?" Naoko finished Meiling's sentence for her. "Is that what you were going to say, Meiling-chan?"

"No, I meant—I just—oh, the hell with it." Meiling turned to face Naoko. "Yes, Naoko-san, magic. My entire family has it, everyone I know has it, except me. If you tell anyone—you just can't, okay?"

Naoko smiled. "Okay. No one would believe me, anyway. So, that's all? You just have no magic? I don't think that's very much at all, compared to everything you can do."

"That's all, I guess," Meiling said, scuffing her feet on the sidewalk. "But in my family, magic is everything. If I don't have it, I can't be a proper Li."

"But, you know," said Naoko, a whimsical look on her face, "you're a proper Meiling, whether you have magic or not."

Meiling looked at her strangely. "Where do you get these thoughts, Naoko-san?"

"I don't know. I just think you're wonderful the way you are."

"Really?"

Naoko blushed. "Really."

They walked the rest of the way in silence.

On Naoko's doorstep, she turned and said, quietly, "Thank you for singing even though you didn't want to, Meiling-chan."

Meiling caught at her hand and she reached for the doorknob. "Hey, what makes you think I didn't want to?"

"Didn't you?"

"I love singing," said Meiling, "and you play very well. You picked out a nice song."

"I…I thought it suited you," Naoko told her shoes.

"Really?" Meiling looked around, then her words tumbled out in a rush. "Um, Naoko-san, I really like you a lot, and I was wondering if you'd mind, um, going to see a movie or something on Saturday?"

"…" Naoko's expression was a sight to see. "Are you asking me on a date?"

"Well, I think so," said Meiling frankly. "I could be wrong."

Naoko smiled brilliantly. "I like you too, Meiling-chan. I'd love to date you."

"Oh. Um. Okay, then." Meiling looked up at Naoko, an evil grin on her face. "Since I walked you home, do I get a goodnight kiss?"

Naoko blushed. "If you want," she said softly.

So Meiling took one step closer, and kissed her.

As Meiling walked home that night, she wasn't worried about what Syaoran would tell her mother about the concert anymore. She couldn't find it in her to be worried about anything. Her mind was full of memories of Naoko's lips, and way her soft body leaned into Meiling's. Without thinking of it, she sang as she walked.

"You stand alone like a moonless sky,

Surrounded by the darkness.

Lift your eyes and you will rise

Up where the morning sun comes shining through,

To show the world the light inside of you."

_Finis_

Gotcha! You thought I was going to write Eriol/Tomoyo, didn't you? Silly people ought to know by this time how much I love Naoko-chan and Meiling-chan. Silly, silly people will still leave reviews I hope?


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